Health News Roundup: Global coronavirus cases exceed 15 million; Hong Kong orders masks indoors in public as daily cases hit record and more

In the United States, which has the highest number of cases in the world with 3.91 million infections, President Donald Trump warned: "It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better." Hong Kong orders masks indoors in public as daily cases hit record Hong Kong will extend strict social distancing measures from midnight on Wednesday, ordering masks in all indoor public areas including malls and markets, as the global financial hub reported a daily record increase of novel coronavirus cases.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Global coronavirus cases exceed 15 million: Reuters tally

Global coronavirus infections surged past 15 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic gathering pace even as countries remain divided in their response to the crisis. In the United States, which has the highest number of cases in the world with 3.91 million infections, President Donald Trump warned: "It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better."

Hong Kong orders masks indoors in public as daily cases hit record

Hong Kong will extend strict social distancing measures from midnight on Wednesday, ordering masks in all indoor public areas including malls and markets, as the global financial hub reported a daily record increase of novel coronavirus cases. Hong Kong tightened social distancing measures in July after a spike of locally transmitted cases and as authorities warned about a third wave of infections.

Romania's coronavirus spike exceeds 1,000 new daily cases

The number of coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a record 1,030 new cases in the past 24 hours, the government said on Wednesday, as the World Health Organization sounded the alarm over spikes in southern Europe and the Balkans. Romania has confirmed 40,163 cases including 2,101 deaths since the pandemic hit in late February.

Exclusive: Novavax executives could get big payday even if vaccine fails

One of the leading U.S. firms developing a coronavirus vaccine, Novavax Inc, has awarded executives stock options that could pay out tens of millions of dollars even if its efforts fail. Novavax CEO Stanley Erck and three other executives would earn the options, worth $101 million at Tuesday’s closing stock price, if the company’s vaccine candidate enters a mid-stage clinical trial - regardless of its eventual success, according to a company filing. The incentive plan, which has not been previously reported, allows the executives to start exercising the options a year after Novavax starts the so-called Phase 2 trial, as it expects to do soon.

U.S. to pay Pfizer, BioNTech $1.95 billion for millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses

Pfizer Inc and German biotech firm BioNTech SE will get $1.95 billion from the U.S. government to produce and deliver 100 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the companies said on Wednesday. The agreement allows the U.S. government to acquire an additional 500 million doses, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense said.

Switzerland expands COVID-19 quarantine watchlist

Switzerland has expanded to 42 the number of territories on its watchlist of coronavirus hot spots, new arrivals from which must enter a ten-day quarantine, health authorities said on Wednesday. New entries as of Thursday include Bosnia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, the Palestinian territories, Suriname and the United Arab Emirates.

U.S. virus surge in June preceded by May surge in Yelp entries for bars, restaurants

The surge of U.S. coronavirus cases that began in June was preceded in May by a large jump in consumer interest in social activities like dining out and going to bars and gyms, website Yelp reported on Wednesday in an analysis of searches and reviews conducted on its platform. Justin Norman, Yelp's VP of Data Science, said in states like Florida and South Carolina, which experienced high growth in coronavirus infections in June, consumer views of Web pages or posts of photos and reviews for bars, restaurants and gyms jumped more than 50% from the previous month.

Trump shifts rhetoric as he urges mask-wearing, warns of worsening pandemic

President Donald Trump, in a shift in rhetoric and tone, encouraged Americans on Tuesday to wear masks if they cannot maintain social distance and warned that the coronavirus pandemic would get worse before it got better. In his first press briefing in months focused on the outbreak, Trump urged young people to avoid going to crowded bars and maintained that the virus would disappear at some point. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Trump changes tack Worrying coronavirus trends in southern Europe, Balkans: WHO's Ryan

Worrying trends of coronavirus infection are emerging in southern Europe and in the Balkan region, Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organization's emergencies programme, said on Wednesday. "Obviously the Americas is clearly still the major hot spot, North, Central and South America, but we have disease beginning to accelerate in Africa," Ryan told the Newstalk radio station in his native Ireland.

(With inputs from agencies.)